


But Who Would Stand For Me?

by A Nonymous (HowNovel)



Series: Star Return [3]
Category: Starman (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1999-09-24
Updated: 1999-09-24
Packaged: 2017-11-04 05:54:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/390500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HowNovel/pseuds/A%20Nonymous
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>3 years later, Paul and Scott return to visit Gus, the illiterate "Pearl Diver" whom Paul worked with at The Blue Dolphin Cafe. Paul had left him inspired to learn to read and write in Episode 22, "The Test". Did Gus ever make it? Did Lorraine Michaels, one of Scott's teachers who had agreed to help Gus, succeed, or was it a hopeless task? And what became of Bo Bradley, the red headed bully who so tormented Scott? Did he learn anything from the encounter?</p>
            </blockquote>





	But Who Would Stand For Me?

**Author's Note:**

> **The Star Return Series:** STARMAN was also notable for its guest cast—a vast array of talent that fleshed out the main character storyline in a remarkable and touching way. Many of these characters have also been highlighted in story and song.
> 
> A few years back, Sheeplady and Desertgal had an idea—to revisit these characters and see how Paul's visit changed the lives of the people he had encountered. The stories focus primarily on the guest characters, though of course Paul and Scott could get to see the results just as we do. As you will see, each has a compelling tale to tell about the influence of one gentle and wise being on them. But maybe a person's life hasn't changed. This would still make an interesting story. The idea is to see how these people are living now, three years later, or have lived over the past few years. 
> 
> Desertgal also notes that the stories are not supposed to be conflict-oriented, with captures and car chases. But they may help resolve a new or old problem for the people Starman and Scott visited. Each story is to be about solely one episode’s characters, without characters from multiple episodes mingling, which is why there are twenty-two stories planned.

But Who Would Stand For Me  
By A Nonymous  
© September 1999

 

"Blue Dolphin Café, Murphy speakin'," came the grizzled voice over the telephone.

"Hello, Murphy. This is Paul Forrester. You probably don't remember me, but I'm a friend of Gus'."

"There you go being a comedian again. Sure I remember you. You're the one that came in here two or three years ago and worked a few days with Gus being a pearl diver. Back then you didn't even know what a pearl diver was. How 'ya doin'?"

"Doing great, but was wondering if you could tell me how I might get in touch with Gus. Is he still working there, by chance?

"Oh, no, he's moved on to bigger and better things now. He was in here this morning for breakfast. He said he was going over to Westside High School to a memorial service they are having for a teacher and a student. The teacher died from cancer and the boy was killed in a car wreck. It happened the same day and I hear that the school is pretty shook up over it. I think Gus is going to "Stand" for both of them.

"Stand?"

"Yeah, he said he was."

"Do you suppose anyone would mind if I went by the school? Scott and I would really like to see Gus. We're just passing through town and hoped we would get a chance to visit with him, if only for a few minutes."

"Why don't you give it a shot? I'm sure the principal could arrange for you to see Gus either before or after the memorial service if 'ya asked him."

"Is Mr. Altman still the principal?"

"Yep, I think so."

"Well, thanks Murphy. It's been nice talking with you."

"You too. If you ever decide to go back into the pearl diving business, come see me. Okay?"

"Sure Murphy. Thanks. Bye now."

The drive to the high school took only a few minutes and finding the principal's office was no problem. It was Mr. Altman who had required Scott to take the equivalency test to prove he was ready for high school. Scott's previous transcripts were too sketchy and incomplete to allow enrollment without the test.

The secretary knocked on the principal's door and announced, "Mr. Forrester is here to see you, sir."

Paul and Scott entered the principal's office at the secretary's bidding. Paul extended his hand and said, "You may not remember us, Mr. Altman, but we met you a few years back when Scott attended school here briefly."

The principal was obviously unable to recall their previous meeting, but extended his hand for the handshake. "What can I do for you Mr. Forrester?"

"We were told that a friend of ours would be at your school this morning for a memorial service and we were hoping to be able to see him."

"The memorial service will begin any minute now. The guests as well as the entire student body are already in the auditorium. I will be joining them momentarily and you can come with me if you'd like. Is your friend a student or perhaps one of the speakers?"

"Our friend's name is Gus and…"

"Gus? Why, he's the main speaker. He will be speaking last because he is "Standing" for both honorees.

"Standing? That's what someone else told us. What does that mean?"

"Perhaps that is just a local colloquialism, but it refers to the eulogist or person who delivers the commendatory address on behalf of a near and dear, departed friend - in this case friends, both Ms. Michaels and Bo Bradley."

"Lorraine Michaels?" Paul asked. The shock was so great, his voice was a whisper.

"Bo Bradley! That red-headed bul…, er, ah, boy?" Scott croaked with eyes widened and mouth agape.

"Yes to both questions. You seemed surprised. Di you know either of them well?"

"We knew them both, but not well," Paul replied. Scott only nodded mouth still open.

"Well, we had better hurry. I imagine they are waiting for me to arrive so the service can begin. Just follow me, you can both sit behind the curtain but will be able to hear and see the speakers. I will have to sit on stage because I've got to introduce the various speakers."

Paul and Scott sat quietly behind the curtain and watched as each speaker was introduced, took center stage and gave their laudatory presentations. They had been unable to see Gus from their vantage point until he approached the podium. Father and son looked at each other in disbelief. Only the facial features resembled the Gus of old. Facing the audience was a man with a great deal of confidence, not the previously shy individual who wrestled constantly with an inferiority complex. The speaker was not dressed in his usual ultra-casual attire that had seen better days, but in the fresh, crisp uniform of a postman.

"He made it," Paul whispered to Scott, "I'm really happy for him. That's all he ever really wanted to be, a mailman."

Before Scott could respond, Gus began. The southern drawl and nasal twang were unmistakable. "We are here today to honor two people that couldn't have been more different, yet possessed many of the same enviable traits."

Scott wrinkled his forehead in a questioning manner and looked at his dad with a scowl, shaking his head.

"I want to tell you," Gus continued, "how much these two meant to me and how they affected my life in such a positive way. It was nearly three years ago when our paths first crossed. At that time I couldn't read nor write and I was making my living washing dishes or pearl diving as some like to call it, in a local café, but dreaming of becoming a mailman one day. A man, whose name was Paul, worked there in the kitchen with me and quickly figured out that I was illiterate. Instead of making fun of me, Paul encouraged me to get help. He had a son and, in the process of getting him enrolled in this very high school, had met some of the teachers. Ms. Michaels was one of them. At Paul's request Ms. Michaels agreed to meet with me and graciously consented to teach me to read and write, beginning with the very basics. It was very difficult for me in the beginning and I wanted to give up more than once, but Ms. Michaels wouldn't have it. One day when I was at my lowest, Ms. Michaels confided to me that I wasn't the only student she was tutoring and that I wasn't the only one having problems learning the basics. Later I found out that the other pupil was Bo Bradley."

An audible ripple went through the entire auditorium. When the noise subsided, Gus continued, "For the last two years, Bo had become a model student and he was frequently used as example of what could happen when one "applied" himself. No one knew that the change that had taken place in Bo Bradley had been the results of sheer will and determination, set into motion by his embarrassment over being humiliated repeatedly by a new student he had nicknamed 'the brain'. Bo disliked everything about 'the brain', from his superior intelligence to his self confidence and refusal to be intimidated; however, the thing he hated most was the relationship 'the brain' had with his father. Bo's father was a ne'er-do-well who was irresponsible at best and excessively abusive, especially when drunk, which was most of the time. As a result of I his home life, Bo gravitated toward the baser element and developed a gang mentality as a means of survival."

Scott shuddered and shook his head. Of course he had no idea what made Bo tick but Gus' comments had piqued his curiosity; Scott leaned forward, straining to catch every word Gus said.

"I don't believe Bo would object to my telling you what happened to him. As a matter of fact, we used to laugh about the character he tried to project before he wised up and took charge of his life. Bo and I became extremely close friends, even with our age difference. We both wanted to improve ourselves and, with Ms. Michaels' help we adopted a support pact that we would always do our best to help one another. It worked. As soon as Bo 'caught up', as Ms. Michaels phrased it, he had an insatiable desire to learn everything.

"As most of you know, Bo was good with his hands. It wasn't long before Bo's scholastic capabilities began to approach those of his manual dexterity. With that winning combination every construction company, service organization and garage in town was clamoring to hire him, but he wanted his education. I'm sure he could look at me and say, 'Man, I don't want to be a nothing like that when I get to be his age.' The fact that he had, indeed, caught up with, and surpassed many in his class, only made him determined to drag me along with him. While Ms. Michaels continued to hammer away at my reading and writing skills, Bo was equally as conscientious in honing my math, grammar, and speaking abilities. The results of their combined efforts were apparent because I passed the Civil Service Exam on the first try. I have now been employed by the Postal Department for over a year and couldn't be happier. None of that could have been possible without the two people we have met to honor today."

The audience arose in unison and spontaneously erupted with applause. Behind the stage's curtain, Paul and Scott stood and cheered with the others until Gus motioned for quiet and for the crowd to be seated. As the students returned to their seats and quiet began to settle over the auditorium, Gus said, "If you don't remember anything else I've said today, I hope that every one of you realize that you have choices. You can settle for the mundane and end up being the dishwashers of the world, or you can seek to improve yourself and become teachers and leaders like Ms. Michaels and Bo. I sincerely hope it will be the latter."

Once again the crowd was on its feet, cheering wildly. Mr. Altman signaled for "quiet" and dismissed the assembly. As the auditorium emptied, the principal approached Gus and congratulated him on his eulogy. "There are a couple of guys over there behind the curtain that want to see you, Gus. Come with me, I'll take you to them."

"Hello, Gus," Paul greeted. "That was a wonderful speech you made."

"Paul! Scott! It's great to see you," Gus replied, giving each a bear hug. "What are you doing here?"

"We called The Blue Dolphin this morning and Murphy told us we could find you here. Since we are just passing through, we hoped we would be lucky enough to catch you or a few minutes. Murphy told us you were 'Standing' for the honorees of the memorial service, but we didn't know who they were until we got here. You did a beautiful job, Gus. Scott and I both are impressed."

"Yeah, Gus," Scott added, "I've carried a grudge against Bo all this time and now I feel guilty for it. I had no idea what caused him to take such a dislike to me."

"How long are you guys going to be here? Mr. Altman has asked me to do one more thing, but as soon as I've done that, I want to treat you to lunch."

"Maybe next time, Gus," Paul responded. "Things haven't changed for Scott and me. We have to keep looking back over our shoulders because George Fox is still after us. Since we are doubling back over territory we've covered before, we can't tarry long. We only wanted to see you and find out how you were doing. From what we've seen and heard, you are doing great, I can't tell you how happy that makes me."

"Thanks, Paul. You've been a good friend. Come back to see me when you feel it is safe."

The three shook hands all around and waved as they parted. Paul and Scott went directly to their car to get back on the road as quickly as possible. As they were backing out, Gus and Mr. Altman came down the steps of the main entrance and approached the school's flagpole. Gus, apparently, had been designated to raise the flag from half to full staff indicating that the memorial service was over and that the school was returning to its regular schedule. Having completed the raising of the flag, Gus looked up at it and gave it a brief, but undeniable, salute. As Paul and Scott pulled out of the parking lot, they saw Gus quickly dab his eyes with the back of his hand and disappear down the maze of steps leading away from the school.

That night as Paul and Scott lay in bed trying to dismiss the events of the day, sleep seemed to evade them both and they tossed from one side of the bed to the other. "Dad?" Scott said at last.

"Yes, son, what is it?"

"If anything ever happened to either or both of us, would we have anyone to 'Stand' for us?"

"Why, certainly!"

"Like who?"

"Liz, Shannon, Beth, Joe, Jessica, Charlie, Jake, Kelly, Casey, Antonia, Ellen, Hal, Jessica……"

Reassured by the names of friends they had made over the years, the endless list served as a sedative. Paul was suddenly aware of the unmistakable shallow, but steady breathing emanating from his son's bed, indicating that Scott was now fast asleep. Paul smiled to himself and said, "And many, many more."

THE END


End file.
